SPAN News

2008 Bon Voyage Banquet

SPAN, Student Project for Amity among Nations, is sending students abroad this summer to perform independent research in Argentina, Bulgaria and Senegal. To celebrate their commitment and hard work, we would like you to join us for our annual Bon Voyage Banquet. This event will be held in the President's Room in Coffman Memorial union from 5:00-8:00 P.M. on Saturday, April 12, 2008. The plate fee is $15.00 per person (Free for 2008 SPANners and 2008 advisors), and RSVPs should be received by April 1, 2008. To receive additional information about this event please contact us at span@umn.edu or 612-626-1083. Don't miss this chance to reunite with your SPAN group, or to support one of the current SPANners!
 

2007 Bon Voyage Banquet
    As the academic year drew to an end, the SPAN office helped the class of 2006 put the final touches on their theses, while the 2007 SPANners completed their preparations for travel this past summer. In SPAN tradition, the two groups joined together for the annual Bon Voyage banquet to mark the send-off for 2007 SPANners.

    Catherine Shaw, SPAN participant to India in 1954, gave the keynote speech with Margot Wagner, SPAN participant to Senegal in 2006, as the highlighted speaker. Catherine and Margot served as a reminder to us that, even though SPAN and study abroad has changed a great deal over the years, the unique rigor in coursework and travel that SPAN offers remains the same.

    In true SPAN tradition, the departing students performed three original works, including a demonstration of, "How to; flag down a taxi in Egypt", and "How to; talk like a New Zealander". The members of the Greece group concluded with the reading of a Greek poem, displaying the hard work they have put forth this year attempting to learn a new language.

    At this year's banquet, about $27,000 in scholarship funds were awarded to out-going SPANners, a new record for travel funding provided through the generous support of SPAN donors. Alumni donations have allowed SPAN to continue to be one of the most rigorous study abroad programs, attracting some of the Universities hardest working students.

Inauguration of two new SPAN scholarships…

Kenneth Norquist Scholarship

In recognition of Kenneth Norquist and the Norquist families' annual financial commitment and continued support of the SPAN program, the Norquist scholarship was formed this year and granted to 2007 SPANner, Lauren White.

Kenneth Norquist was a member of the first SPAN group to Sweeden in 1947. During his summer abroad he analyzed Sweden's attitude towards its "large Eastern neighbor", Russia. He did so by examining trade agreements, public opinions, and the economic aim of postwar Sweden. Kenneth remains an active member of the SPAN community not only through his financial contributions, but also through his participation in our annual SPAN Bon Voyage Banquet and other gatherings that have been held throughout the past 60 years.

Kathryn M Sederberg Scholarship

2007 marks the inception of the Kathryn M Sederberg scholarship to the SPAN program. 6 students received a Sederberg scholarship out of the funds that Kathryn M Sederberg graciously endowed to SPAN students. The scholarship continues to promote cross-cultural discoveries much the same that Kathryn experienced while she herself participated in the SPAN program and in many of her other travels.

Kathryn M. Sederberg, 1941-2004, (B.A. 1963, /magna cum laude/) participated in the SPAN summer program in Morocco in 1962.  Her project involved a comprehensive study of the Moroccan daily press.  While abroad, she took advantage of the opportunity to travel in Spain, France, and England.  The SPAN experience awoke in her a life-long love of travel.  Getting away from it all for Kathryn entailed activities like traveling to the Arctic Circle or participating in an archeological dig in Scotland.  She left a portion of her estate to assist other students along similar paths of discovery.

The following students received a Scholarship from Kathryn M Sederberg's endowment to the SPAN program: Shannon L. Eberle, Egypt; Kristi Fritsch, Greece; Ana Staska, Greece; Alyssa Olson, New Zealand; Marisa Ontko, New Zealand; Laura Potter, New Zealand.


A Record Breaking Year….

2007 Phon-A-Thon

With gratitude and appreciation, we would like to thank the SPAN alumni for their steadfast financial support and continued interest in one of Minnesota's most challenging and rigorous study abroad programs. Your donations have allowed us to distribute over $25,000 worth of scholarships to this year's SPANners. Never before has the SPAN program been able to offer so much support to its students to offset the cost of their field studies and travel expenses. This is truly a record-breaking year! Your continued support has enabled the SPAN program to impact student's lives with this unique study abroad experience, an experience like no other.
 

SPAN in the news:

http://www.mndaily.com/articles/2006/10/17/69431 

http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Publications/M_magazine/M_previous_issues/SPANing_the_globe.html